Unchained
by WeAreConfused
Summary: One woman's future depends on her ability to unlock the mysteries of a shadowy past. When the past and present collide, will she be able to protect the man she has sworn to help? Please RR!
1. The Start of Something New

**AN: **(Dani) Hi all! And welcome to the first chapter of our wonderful new story! There will be action! There will be adventure! There will be treasure and lots and lots of rum! Please, do us the honor of reading it and telling us what you think! And now, on to the show!

(Heather) Read and review or the pirate gets it!

Unchained

**Chapter One: The Start of Something New**

Jack Sparrow, _Captain_ Jack Sparrow if you please, woke to the feeling of someone straddling his abdomen. At first he tensed up, unsure as to whom this surprise visitor could possibly be. He refused to open his eyes though, refused to let his 'guest' know that he was awake.

But after awhile it grew to be too much. A slight smirk began to lift the corners of his mouth as the person; a woman presumably, shifted their weight slightly. He could have some fun with this. Jack snaked his hands underneath the mystery legs and then threw his weight to the right, effectively flipping them both over, the soft sheets tangling around their bodies.

He was not surprised when a familiar voice cried out. "Jack Sparrow! Get the 'ell off o' me!"

Jack merely smirked down at her, releasing her legs to prop his body up with both hands. "I shoulda known," he replied. "Ye always did have interesting ways to wake a man up, Rye."

Rye glared up at him. "Can ya get off? Yer heavy."

Jack laughed and then sat up. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Rye bolted up in the bed excitedly. "I 'ave an idea, one that will make us rich beyond all of our wildest dreams."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "What's the catch?"

"What? No catch."

"There's always a catch love."

Rye sighed. "Not always, Jack."

"Riannon . . ."

"Don't start that Sparrow. You know I hate that."

"Then what's the catch?"

"Like I said, no catch. It's an island with untold amounts of treasure 'idden on it. All you 'ave to do is get me there an' I'll give ya 'alf."

"Ah. So all ya want is me ship?"

"No. I want yer 'elp," Rye replied. A glint of humor entered her eyes as she added: "The _Pearl_'s just an added bonus."

Jack sighed again. He wasn't sure if he wanted to join in on another one of her crazy quests. The last one had ended slightly wrong. They had wound up looking for nothing but a book with strange writing in it.

Fetched a pretty price when they sold it though.

Rye picked up his hand, gripping it tightly in her own hands. Jack looked up into her eyes but then instantly regretted it. She had widened her eyes, giving him a look of almost perfect innocence. She knew he could never say no to that look.

"Don't you trust me Jack?" she asked, blinking her eyes.

Jack rolled is eyes and groaned in response. "Fine. Alright. I'll go wit' ya."

"Good," Rye replied, smiling and letting go of his hand. "Then get dressed. We 'ave a map ta retrieve."

"Wait," Jack called, "you don't even 'ave the map yet?"

Rye stood up quickly and patted his cheek. "Don't even worry about it. It's already mine, I jus' 'ave ta pick it up."

"But . . ."

"Come on, get dressed. We gotta go," she interrupted, and then grabbed hold of the sheet covering him and pulled with all of her might.

Caught completely unaware, Jack was pulled unceremoniously from the bed and landed in a disheveled heap on the dirty floor.

Rye cocked her head to one side slightly, staring down at him with a grin on her face. "Hmm, nice. Now get dressed. I'll be downstairs waitin'."

Before Jack could respond, Rye turned and left his room, closing the thin door behind her.

* * *

Jack sauntered down the creaky wooden stairs to the main tavern floor, his eyes searching the semi-crowded barroom. Rye grinned the moment their eyes met, and then stood up to walk towards him.

He took in her appearance then, starting with her dark red hair and youthful face. Her long hair was braided into pigtails, the thin braids hanging over her shoulders. Rye's dark blue eyes held only humor and excitement on the surface, but Jack knew that hidden deep in their depths lurked a coldness that could freeze the warmest of bloods.

Rye wore only a vest as a shirt; the vest made out of fabric the same deep red as her hair. Her breeches were a faded black, almost the same color as her knee high boots. Around her waist she wore a simple weapons belt, an old sword hanging within its scabbard. She had told Jack once that it had belonged to her father, the one heirloom that she had ever actually treasured.

"Are ya ready?" she asked, her eyebrows rising slightly as she noticed him staring.

Jack nodded thoughtfully. "Aye."

Rye's grin grew wider. "Good. We 'ave an appointment ta keep."

* * *

"Are ya sure yer wantin' ta do this, lass?"

Rye smirked. "O' course. Sounds like the most fun I've 'ad in ages."

The man shook his head, keeping one eye on Jack as he wandered through the store and the other on the woman he was dealing with. The shopkeeper eyed the small skin rolled up in his hand. "Ye know it ain't safe."

Rye leaned in closer, her blue eyes locking on his own grey ones. "Nothin' is anymore. It just sounds like an adventure."

"But if the stories are true . . ." he began. Rye shushed him with a finger to his chapped lips.

"No need ta bring that up, love. I know the story an' I know the dangers an' warnings. It's all a load of crap anyway."

"Ye should be wary. Many a pirate 'as gone after this treasure, an' not one o' 'em 'ave come back."

Rye did not respond, a knowing grin lighting her face. She held out her hand silently, her eyes still holding his. She did not need another history lesson; she had had enough of it when she had first seen it. "Jus' give me what I paid for an' I'll be out o' yer way."

The shopkeeper scowled at her but placed the tan scroll in her upturned palm. Rye closed her fingers gently, careful not to crush the frail paper. She unrolled it slowly, the paper crinkling as she did so, to unveil the thin, scratchy writing. Rye nodded approvingly. "Good then. Then I guess we'll be on our way," she said, and then stood up and turned to go.

"One more thing, lass," the shopkeeper said. Rye turned to look down on him as Jack came to her side, his head cocked to one side.

"What?"

"If ye know what is comin' then ye should know the best way ta protect yerself."

"I don't think that's . . ." she began.

The man shoved something out at her, a small pouch tied with a thick brown string. The string looped wide, giving the effect that one could wear it as a necklace. Rye took it from him and held it up to her face, but then held it away as a stench radiated from it. Her face scrunched up in disgust at the smell. "What is it?"

"Protection," he stated simply. "Wear it always and it will not 'arm ye."

"Okay, fine. I'll do jus' that mate. Now, if ye'll excuse us . . ." she replied, and once again turned to go.

"Jus' be wary. Ye may not know it when it comes."

Rye rolled her eyes and opened to her mouth to reply when Jack stopped her.

"Wait," he said, grabbing hold of Rye's arm and stopping her in her tracks. "What's 'e talkin' about?"

Rye's eyebrows rose slightly at his question. "What?" she asked innocently. "Didn't I mention the curse?"


	2. Possibilities and Pirates

**AN: **Yay! We're back! We would like to introduce the second chapter to this daring tale which also introduces new characters. We hope you enjoy and please review! We would love to hear your thoughts!

**Chapter Two: Possibilities and Pirates**

"Holy crap, this is it! It really does exist! I thought it was only myth but it's real. Someone give me my phone. I gotta call my mom!" the squeals of the interns were enough to drive a Kraken back to the darkest depths. For archeologist Skye Howlett, it was just a normal part of the job.

Today was not the day for fooling around though. She only had a few more hours of day light and according to the weather reports; a storm was on the shore line of the Caribbean. Even though she considered making several of the interns shark chum, she couldn't let them be hurt. But radar had just picked up what she had been looking for and there was no way she was giving it up.

Reaching for her walkie-talkie, she flipped it on and pressed the button day. "Hey Alexa, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, boss lady." The voice of Skye's most trusted partner, Alexa, crackled through. "What's the latest? It's startin' to get a little grey in the sky."

"Radar picked something up. And it's big, whatever it is."

"You think it's the mother load?"

"Could be. Listen; get the mini-sub ready to roll. I don't want to get caught in some storm. I'd like to return to New York in one piece."

"Aw boss, your no fun. But yeah, get your tight butt up here." Alexa's voice tuned out. Skye turned around. "Hey Jesse!"

The young Asian man stopped staring at a female intern's rear and looked up. "Yo ho."

"I need you at the weather computer. As soon as that storm looks like it's picking up, I want you to call me and we can get the hell out of here."

"Wait a minute, your going in the water?" Jesse's eyes got huge.

"It's what I was paid to do." Skye cracked her neck, which was something she always did to relieve stress and headed upstairs. As soon as she stepped on the deck, a strong wind hit her in the face, nearly knocking her backwards. "Holy shit!"

"You're telling me!" Alexa yelled over the wind. Pieces of her red hair had come out of the bun and were blowing in the wind. "You sure about this, Skye?"

"I don't have much of a choice!"

"I know British people are stubborn, but you take the cake!" Jesse stuck his head out from the lower deck.

"I heard Asian men are just as worse, but that's because your women haven't rebelled yet. The sub ready Alexa?"

"Yeah. Derrick and Shane are doing the finishing touches." Before Skye could move, Alexa hugged her tightly. "Be careful, alright? I'd hate to live in that apartment all by myself."

Skye hugged back and pushed some of her light brown hair back from her face. "I promise."

"You're a crazy bitch!" Shannon 'Shane' Lipton shouted. "I'm taking your car if you die." Skye rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"I bettin' only a few minutes till the rain comes!" Derrick was an old sea dog, and a friend of her father. "That hook on the sub is fixed so you can grab whatever you need, girlie. And don't throw up. I just got new seats in there." He hugged Skye tightly

Skye crawled into the mini-sub and watched the door shut behind her. "Okay, just hold on and it'll all be over." Skye held her breath and felt the sub jolt, then heard splashing. When she opened her eyes, she saw the dark blue ocean waters.

"Skye, the forecasters are calling all boats back. I take it we got about ten minutes before they start coming after us." Jesse's voice crackled through the speaker box.

"All I need is five. Coordinates?"

"Sending, you cocky British bitch." Skye laughed as the computer screen showed where she was and where her treasure lay. She put the pedal to the metal and sped toward her prize.

Like any archeologist, Skye had been all over the world: Russia, China, Japan, Germany, England, Spain, and Australia; she had been every where at least twice. But her bread and butter was pirate history. She wasn't a treasure hunter, not by any means. All Skye believed in was that history has a place for everything, including the men and women who scourged the sea in the name of gold and freedom.

"There you are, my lovely. Jesse, sending live feed. Look what I found," Skye said in a sing-song voice. She pushed the button for the camera to work.

"Is that really…" Jesse's voice faltered out.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you one of the greatest Navy ships from under her Majesty's rule, The Interceptor."

There was silence for a while before someone, probably an intern, decided to do a bad Steve Irwin impression and shouted "Crikey!"

"Hate to bring the good mood to a low level Captain, but it looks like some ships are coming our way. And from what I'm hearing, they're not happy with you." Jesse reported.

"I'll be right up. I just need to get what I need." Skye powered on, noticing the water getting a little choppy. She came right up to the broken ship and saw her prize: the ship's name plate. Granted, it was a bit eroded and delicate, but Derrick and Shane would take care of it before any harm came to it.

Skye had done her homework on The Interceptor. During a fight with pirates, the powder kegs exploded due to mass fire and made the ship break in two. The ship itself was never to be moved again from the rocky undersea crags, as it was now dubbed a reef. But her employer wasn't interested in the ship. All he asked for the name plate. And he was offering a high amount of money. Even honorable archeologists had to eat.

Extending the hooks, they pierced the wood. Skye put the sub in reverse and used the entire sub's power to pull the name plate clear off.

Out of nowhere, a strong current hit the tiny sub, toppling it over, including its driver. "What the hell?" Before Skye could steady herself, another strong current hit.

"Skye...get…..of there. Really…..now!" Jesse's voice crackled. It was full of panic and worry.

"There's no way in Hell I'm going out like this." Skye grabbed the controls and forced the sub back to the upwards position. Hooks secured into the name plate, she turned it sharply and put the gas on full force. The currents began getting stronger, angrier. Like they were mad at her for taking what belonged to it. Suddenly, it felt like the ocean itself was trying to suck her backward.

"What is going on? Jesse, Alexa, anyone? Are you guys seeing this?" Skye yelled. "I never thought I'd say this but, fuck you Neptune!" the subs gears where nearly grinding on themselves as Skye pushed the sub further. Finally, she felt herself nearly floating and exploded through the surface.

Skye shook as the sub was raised onto the deck of the boat. "Shake it off girl. Come on, your better then that! But what the hell was going on back there?"

The sub's door finally opened and Skye was blinded by bright sunlight. Sunlight? A pair of arms reached in, grabbed hers, and gently pulled her out.

"I believe this ranks high on the weird shit meter," Shane exclaimed. "The storm broke." She looked at Skye. "Hey, you alright?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine." Skye must've looked like a scared chicken. "I had some current trouble down there. At least the storm broke. Get the treasure to that containment box. It needs to stay out of warm conditions." Shane nodded, but threw her a worried look before helping Derrick.

"You did it, fearless leader." Alexa hugged her. "Skye, are you…"

"Will everyone stop asking me if I'm bloody alright? I told you I had current problems. I'm taking a nap. Wake me when we get to shore." Skye snapped harshly, but walked slowly down the stairs. The interns came out running, some scared mindless.

"She's in prime bitch mode." Jesse snorted.

"Shut up, Jess," Derrick snapped. "Something down there freaked her out. And if it's enough to get her shaky…get this boat back into the docks. We've all had enough of the ocean for today."


End file.
